Rep. Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.) said Monday he will introduce a constitutional amendment to reverse the Supreme Court ruling issued Monday, which largely shields former presidents from criminal prosecution for actions in office.
“I will introduce a constitutional amendment to reverse SCOTUS’ harmful decision and ensure that no president is above the law. This amendment will do what SCOTUS failed to do—prioritize our democracy,” Morelle wrote on the social platform X.
The Supreme Court handed down the 6-3 decision on Monday, ruling along ideological lines presidents have absolute immunity for actions that fall within the core responsibilities of their office and are “at least presumptively immune” for all other official acts.
The decision handed former President Trump a win in his federal election subversion case in Washington, D.C., first sending the case back to a lower court to decide whether his actions on Jan. 6 merit protection from criminal prosecution for decisions made while in the White House.
When the Supreme Court hands down a ruling on a constitutional issue, the judgement is virtually final, and decisions can only be altered with a constitutional amendment and a new ruling.
Morelle is among various Democrats who criticized the Supreme Court’s ruling. The Democrats have long argued that, under the Constitution, no one — not even the president — is above the law. By ruling that Trump is protected from prosecution for certain actions, the Supreme Court violated the intentions of the nation’s founders, the Democratic critics argued.
The Democratic criticism reiterated the arguments from the three liberal justices who dissented from Monday’s decision. Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who wrote the dissent that the two other liberal justices joined, said, “In every use of official power, the President is now a king above the law.”